Ray Ison, Professor in Systems at the UK Open University since 1994, is a member of the Applied Systems Thinking in Practice Group. From 2008-15 he also developed and ran the Systemic Governance Research Program at Monash University, Melbourne. In this blog he reflects on contemporary issues from a systemic perspective.

Monday, November 27, 2006

The energy debate - gaining a systemic understanding is not easy

Why is this the case? Because there are so few analyses being done by disinterested parties and because the methodologies adopted are not up to the job. Few make transparent the boundary judgements that are made in relation to any costings (i.e. what is internalized and what is externalized). It also seems that the worldviews of the investigators rarely consider the extent to which energy use minimisation and/or energy use efficiencies might be gained (mainly because this is seen to threaten economic growth, as currently calculated). Ultimately the energy is for the benefits of citizens and it will be citizens who decide. A new website with informed factsheets is aimed to help citizens make up their own minds.